The Fondation Louis Vuitton was started in 2006 as a not-for-profit art museum and cultural centre sponsored by the LVMH group. The foundation is a legal separate entity and it's mandate is to promote arts and culture.

The $143 million building was designed by Frank Gehry and opened it's doors in October of last year. It has received numerous design awards in both France as well as the United States, but many critics and patrons have been quoted as saying that the building feels like a missed opportunity to really connect with a younger generation of art patron in a different way.

If that is true, it would give weight to the argument that their appointment of Olivier Michelon as new Chief Curator, as of March 2016 comes at a good time. Michelon certainly brings a wealth of experience, particularly the last three years he has spent leading the Musee des Abattoirs. We will have to wait until the spring to see how this move will impact the programming at the Fondation Louis Vuitton, but it can't hurt.